Since the first time I made carrillada (stewed Ibérico pork cheeks) I have tried making them in different ways, but then recently created a killer version when preparing a dish for an Introduction to Sherry class that was so good I wanted to share it here. What could be better for a sherry class than cheeks slow-cooked in sherry? And the perfect sherry in my mind was oloroso. So as usual I had a look around and found several versions of carrillada al oloroso, tweaked them here and there, and came up with this one.

Ingredients and instructions below…

• 6 pork cheeks (approx 1 kilo)
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup oloroso sherry
• 1 cup broth
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• salt & pepper
• olive oil

Rinse and pat dry the cheeks, then rub with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a large saucepan brown the cheeks in a generous amount of olive oil then set aside. In the same oil sautée the onion, garlic and carrots until the onions turn translucent. Return the cheeks to the pot, then add the whole black peppercorns, thyme, sherry and broth. If needed, add boiling water to just cover the cheeks. Bring up to a boil, then quickly turn the heat down to simmer, cover and slow cook approx 3 hours, turning the cheeks occasionally. Add a bit more boiling water during the cooking time if the sauce reduces too much.

Remove the cheeks to a serving plate. Season the sauce if needed, thin it out a bit if necessary by whisking in some boiling water, then pour over cheeks.